I am nearing 35 weeks here and have some stuff together, but still a lot left to do. I have done so far:
- ordered birth kit and pool
- ordered a whole boatload of herbs for before and after the birth (just starting to work on my natural medicine cabinet this time around- I got- comfrey, nettles, uva ursi, witch hazel, sage, echinicea, chamomille, astralagus and some some more rrl.
- I have the diapers and gn clothes out and ready.

So, we still need to do so much!
- get all the around the house items together in one spot
- stock up on the afterbirth food (I am buying some soda for the mw(we don't usually drink it) and some pizza (as I am off dairy and grains because of the yeast- and I am craving it big time) ) I need to get more meals in the freezer as well
- Do another deep clean of the house since it won't be getting done for a LONG time after the baby is born

I guess I need to go over evertyhing with the mw to make sure I am not forgetting anything....

Oh and I have a question re mw gifts.

The other day when I was talking to her I made a comment about buying herbs and she asked me to get her some comfrey leaf as well as she was out. So I went ahead and ordered that and extra batches of the other herbs she uses as well. I thought I could put these in some jars and put it in a basket for her as gift. Would do you think? Would that be a nice gift? I was having a hard time coming up with anything else as I am not sure her interests and such, but know that this is a needed item.

Also, when do I give the gift AND what about the assistant, is she supposed to get a gift as well? If so, I have no clue what to get her now....
- get a new hose for the pool

Ugh. I'm so stuck on the whole 'gift for the midwives' thing that I might just skip it altogether. I mean, I don't KNOW these women personally, not to the degree that I feel comfortable selecting a gift for them!!!! But on the other hand, I"d LIKE to get them something....

I am feeling the same way about the gift...totally not sure. I decided I would wait and give her a gift at my 6 week checkup- I figure I will be able to process everything by then I did some major nesting last week and I have almost everything ready for the birth. Really the only thing left is some minor cleaning and washing dipes. I'm 37 weeks today (gasp) and I promised myself I would have everything ready by week 36. I just cant believe that I will be meeting baby so soon!!

We're getting there. I got my birthkit and pool last week, I've started getting together household things in a box in my room, and I have all of the clothes and diapers ready.
I still have to:
-get pool accessories like the hose and fish scooper
-buy the household items I don't have on hand
-get the eo's and herbs to make stuff for babe (like diaper wipe solution)
-freeze some meals
-get the midwife's gift

I'm kind of in the opposite boat with the midwife gift. I used to be my midwife's apprentice and I have worked with her new apprentice at births when I was the assistant and she was the doula, so I feel like I need to get them something good.

I think the herb gift basket is a really nice idea! I think your midwife will really like that.

Urban homesteader married to my high school sweetheart, mama to V(4/07) and H(6/10)

I just ordered my birthkit-- so it should be here next week. I have all the clothes, dipes, wipes, blankets, etc for baby-- one thing I almost forgot: Pads. But I got those too now.
I have to get together a couple other things, like have a garbage bag out and bowl for placenta, etc- but I think I'm pretty much done w/ birth stuff.
I've been nesting pretty seriously, getting stuff stocked up- dh husband laughed when he opened the bathroom cupboard-- "Looks like we won't be needed any q-tips for a while, eh?" (He didn't noticed the massive container of soap and the TP that is almost making the doors pop open. lol
I decided to not get a birth pool-- I always have back labor and water never helped before, but I was thinking it might be different if I had my own deep pool. But spending $50-$100 on something I might like and then thinking about what else that money could go to... my labors are only about 6 hours anyway.

I'm not getting the mw a gift. I had never heard of doing so until I got on MDC. I apprenticed w/ her for 7 years- I never got a gift. I would have felt awkward if I had- You are already paying her- aside from that, she should view the fact that she is asked to be at your birth as an honor and gift in itself. I was always so thrilled to know that someone wanted me at their birth-- what a privilege! It was me thanking them for allowing me to be there.
Now, aside from that, I do think the herbs are a very nice gift.

i think i have everything except my pool and the hoses for it!
gifts... i don't think i will do one.. is that mean? i gave the mw who delivered my son a picture in a frame of him being born so maybe if we get a good picture this time i will do the same.

i think that i also only need a pool. and i should get on that. i haven't frozen much food but i'm not sure that i'll really need to...my parents are coming out for two weeks and i have lots of support around here and will get several meals from friends.

i was thinking of knitting a hat and mittens or scarf for mw with some really nice yarn (that i know she likes)... but maybe i need more? what do you think?

I have most of my supplies for the actual labor/birth/immediate pp together in a box, but still no house to give birth in. I do still need the accessories for the pool, some chux pads, string to tie the cord and some scissors ... I think that's about it. My doula is bringing her herbs, so I'm happy I don't have to worry about that.

I do still need to stock my (non-existent as of yet) freezer and buy a breast pump. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow. : Denial, anyone?

I have pretty much everything I need/wanted for labor, birth, the baby and postpartum. But it's scattered through out the house, or I'm waiting for it to be delivered, so all I have to do is get it all together.

I have to wash the babys stuff - diapers, clothes, blankets. (I was going to wait until closer to my due date, but I just can't wait anymore and have decided to do it this weekend. I can always do it again, right?! )

My house is fairly clean and organized (we just moved a couple weeks ago and I think I might have used up all my nesting energy cleaning and organizing then ) although I am hoping to get a second wind closer to when the baby is born. But if not, I'm good with it - I've been keeping up really well.

I need to get some meals in the freezer.

I do have the fun stuff left - pictures, belly cast, Mother Blessing - but that will all be over by the first week in April, and I'm looking forward to doing nothing the last couple weeks, except just waiting for the baby!

I've got everything except paper to do a placenta print. I do need to set a bowl with my stuff for the placenta. And I am waiting on the drain and fill attatchment for the sink. I was sent one that was slightly cracked on the drain part so I sent it in to be replaced. I'm 36 weeks today.

I copied Carolynn and made a jar of bathsalts for my MW and 2 apprentices. They turned out lovely and were SO easy to make!!! I also bought each a bar of Dagoba Chocolate, called Mon Cherie-who doesn't love a soak in the bath w bar of chocolate??? I figured I would love so they probably will too.

To get:
disp. turkey roaster for placenta
baby's tree-to plant, we have a plum for DS

Uhh...I haven't gotten anything yet! Thankfully, the mw clinic provides the birth kit but I have a list of things I need like olive oil and old towels etc. I guess I should clean the house, since I have my home visit on Monday and the room I plan to birth in is a disaster! I am such a procrastinator. I finally got some proper belly pics done today though, so that's something right??
Btw OP, I think your gift of herbs sounds lovely, but I am with the others who don't really do the gift thing. I did write a card and send some pics after the birth which they hung on the wall and I will do the same again this time.

i'm 37w and READY!!! i'd like a couple more things in the freezer, but my mom is here so that will help. baby clothes and diapers are washed and ready, birth kit is in order, towels ready, plastic sheet on the bed, etc. etc. my dh has been crazy nesting all afternoon, finishing projects he wanted to do months ago.

today we blew up the birth pool. la bassine, and it looks awesome!! we have to deflate it because there's no place to store it and it took all of 10mins to blow up. it looks awesome and i'm so excited about it.

The TREE!!! Yes, I totally keep telling my husband that we need to get an apricot tree for the birth. Unfortunately we just got 5 inches of snow and ice again even though it was 65 degrees on Wednesday.

Gifts for MWs??? I was going to make a throw pillow for my midwife. I have been at her house enough times to know what will go with her decor so I figure that this would be a nice thing to pass on along with some tea.

I also wanted to work on finding a good design for birth annoucements, which I plan on doing myself. That is my goal for today!

Everything has happened so fast that I actually thought that I was ahead of the game a couple of months ago and now I feel a bit behind.

38 weeks and pretty much ready, which is good because mw now say I'll you at our next appt if not sooner. She (and our backup OB) think we are bascially at the "anytime" point. I need to get a new peribottle and some food/drink for labor, like Recharge, in the house. We finally settled on at least first names
Boy - Aidan or
Girl - Sydney

but a middle name still is up in the air. Both names for DS arefamily names so I'd like #2's middle name to be a distinct family name. DH doesn't really care about the family thing... We'll see.

Oh and ugh!! I don't even want to THINK about all of the things I've got left to do before baby gets here!! My due date is in only 16 days...just only 2 or 3 weeks left (or less!). Please, baby, let us get in our new home and settled before poppin' out! (You gals will be so sick of me talking about our house, I know!!)...

Since it's still not 'decided' I'm going to birth at home I haven't really done anything to prepare yet! I will have to do any preparations in secret, however, and not many as if we do stay home it will be a last minute 'I'm-not-leaving' kind of thing, and low-key anyway. My midwife has left the homebirth kit here, so we're not without supplies anyway. Would anyone like to recommend ESSENTIALS to have on hand for last-minute homebirth?
I think I will give my mw a gift, as I really like her and SO appreciate her. Luckily I have a great gift idea- I'm going to do a small painting for her- I think of women's hands on my belly or something that can hang in their office when they finally get one. I think she'll appreciate it. I might do something baby-ish instead, though, I just haven't decided. I'll see if I can get my mom to take a good photo when I have my appt of her hands on my belly.
A

Since it's still not 'decided' I'm going to birth at home I haven't really done anything to prepare yet! I will have to do any preparations in secret, however, and not many as if we do stay home it will be a last minute 'I'm-not-leaving' kind of thing, and low-key anyway. My midwife has left the homebirth kit here, so we're not without supplies anyway. Would anyone like to recommend ESSENTIALS to have on hand for last-minute homebirth?
I think I will give my mw a gift, as I really like her and SO appreciate her. Luckily I have a great gift idea- I'm going to do a small painting for her- I think of women's hands on my belly or something that can hang in their office when they finally get one. I think she'll appreciate it. I might do something baby-ish instead, though, I just haven't decided. I'll see if I can get my mom to take a good photo when I have my appt of her hands on my belly.
A

Wow! I'm envious if you give your mw a painting! I checked out your link in your siggy and your work is really beautiful.
I have a list of stuff that my mw gave to me have on top of the birth kit, I will try to post it tomorrow, but for now I'm off to bed!
Anika

The only thing I used at my homebirth that we didn't normally just have in the house were chux pads. (Of which I only used maybe 3 or 4.)

Other than that, I used a peri bottle afterwards but I had that leftover from my hospital births. And towels. And a ziplock bag for the placenta. I think my mw asked for us to have big black trash bags handy, but I'm not quite sure what they used them for, or if they even did. (Oh, maybe to trash the chux pads?) And a pot for an herbal sitz bath.

That's it. Of course, I went so fast it was a surprise uc, so I'm curious as to what other people say because I can't imagine what else you would need...

The clinic (this one anyway) provides things like chux pads, peri bottle, mesh undies etc. Obviously some things could be optional, I didn't have any gatorade last time or a heater and I didn't put garbage bags on my pillows, but we did use most of the rest. But as Monkey Princess said, it's mostly stuff we had around the house.
Anika

That looks pretty similiar to my list. I went through it all Saturday and it seems I pretty much have everything on hand, however I need to stock up on a few household items before the birth anyway so I will be making a trip sometime soon to get that all done. I don't want to have to worry that I have run out of tp 3 days after the birth.